Feel the rhythm!
by FreakyPumpkin
Summary: I got a prompt on tumblr: Magnus takes Alec to an aerobics class, but he isn't allowed any balance or agility runes and ends up being really bad. Fluff and some kisses. :) Sometimes it's just not important to be good at something.


**I got a prompt, I wrote a thing. :)**

**The prompt was: Magnus takes Alec to an aerobics class, but Alec isn't allowed any balance or agility runes. Alec is really bad at it, but Magnus doesn't agree. Lots of fluff (I think) and a few kisses. :)**

**Disclaimer: Never was mine, never will be.**

"An aerobic class?", Alec asked, suspiciously looking at Magnus while pursing his lips against the rim of his cup of coffee. "And no runes?"

Magnus nodded, swallowing a bit of his croissant. "No runes."

"Why?"

The warlock only shrugged which made Alec even more suspicious.

"What are you up to?"

Magnus rolled his eyes at him. "Nothing, darling, I promise. I just want to spend some time with you, now that those demon floods have finally calmed down a bit. I mean, I've barely seen you these past weeks, apart from you sleeping like a rock next to me. And well, as we have found out that you don't do good with calm activities during these phases - don't give me that look, Alexander, remember that last attempt of a picnic last week? You couldn't sit still and had that nervous twitch in your right eye. I just thought that something like an aerobics class would be fun."

Alec's expression had softened during the short monologue. Guiltily he bit his lower lip and stared down at the coffee. It was true. Jace, Isabelle and him had been working overtime these past weeks and Magnus hadn't once complained or made a face when Alec had to leave after only a brief visit which had mostly consisted of him being knocked out cold on the couch.

"Okay", he said eventually and simply the grin that instantly spread on Magnus' lips made him glad that he'd done so. "But what's with the 'no runes'-thing?"

Magnus shrugged again. "Call it scientific curiosity." Suddenly the broad smile on his lips was slightly unnerving.

* * *

Alec had never thought much about shadowhunters being dependent on their runes. They were just always there. Now they weren't. Well, not all of them. He still had the parabatai-rune, the voyance-rune on his hand (mostly covered beneath fingerless gloves) and some others - nothing for balance or agility and such though - but he still felt naked … and clumsy. His forehead still hurt from tripping over the carpet and head-bumping the door on his way out of the bedroom. But then again, he could be clumsy with the runes on as well. The thought of falling down the stairs after his first date still made his cheeks burn. He didn't care how many times Magnus called it 'utterly adorable'. He was a shadowhunter, he shouldn't fall down stairs for any reason.

"You ready, darling?", the warlock's voice sounded from the loft's door. Alec sighed heavily and finished tying his boots.

"Coming", he called back and then joined Magnus at the door. His boyfriend had packed a bag for both of them with sweats and some shirts, two water bottles, the right shoes … whatever was needed for an aerobics class. It wasn't like Alec would have been able to know what was needed for it himself anyway.

"I still feel naked and … weird", he muttered darkly when he walked past Magnus taking the first step. When he was halfway down the stairs, Alec noticed that Magnus wasn't following him. The warlock was still standing at the top of the stairs looking slightly conflicted.

"You know, if it makes you that uncomfortable to go without the runes … you can take your stele with you", he said. "I don't want to force you into doing something you don't want to, I just thought it would be … interesting, you know? Doing something without weapons strapped under your jacket, without runes meant for battle covering your skin … I don't know, but if-"

"It's okay." Alec felt bad for being overdramatic and making Magnus feel guilty for his own discomfort. Yes, it was weird going out without the usual runes beneath the clothes, but it wasn't that bad. Magnus still looked unconvinced gnawing the edge of his bottom lip, a habit Alec wondered if his boyfriend had picked it up from him.

Taking two stairs at once Alec got back up to Magnus again. Magnus didn't move backwards and so Alec ended up pretty close in front of him when he took the last step.

"Don't worry, okay?", he whispered, a smile spreading on his lips. Then Alec pressed slow kiss to Magnus' lips bringing up his hands to carefully framing the warlock's face. "Now let's go before I can fall down those stairs a second time."

Magnus grinned and Alec felt his boyfriend's arm around his waist. "Don't worry, I'll keep you safe."

* * *

Aerobics shouldn't be that big of a challenge, Alec had thought. Because hey, he fought demons for a living, he'd went through tough training since his early childhood, not to mention that neither Jace nor Isabelle went easy on him during their almost daily training sessions.

Turns out, mundanes had found a whole new way of torture in the meantime. And all of it to the rhythm of music, most of the time it was a pretty simple rhythm, but Alec had already driven his parents close to desperation when he'd tried to learn dancing along with his siblings. He simply had no sense for rhythm or moving with said rhythm at all.

Fortunately the room was big enough with enough other participants that Alec and Magnus could kind of hide in the back. Alec tried, he really did, but with the addition that he was lacking his balance and agility runes, it just wasn't possible for him to keep up with the very animated young woman in the front. He kept tripping over his own feet, loosing balance and falling against Magnus, who as promised always caught him.

First Alec was frustrated because this shouldn't have been too hard for him, but then he saw Magnus smile at him, giving him a thumbs up from the corner of his eye and he realized that this wasn't about mastering some skill or appeasing his parents. There was nobody standing on the sidelines judging him, only Magnus who would catch him no matter how badly he'd mess it up.

From that point onward it began making fun.

Alec found himself mimicking the movements of the woman in the front with more vigor - at least the arm movements, whenever feet were involved there was the risk of breaking an ankle - making overdramatic faces and almost managing to crack Magnus up. He simply allowed himself to be a silly teenager who royally sucked at something he was doing. It felt good.

So when the lesson ended, Alec turned to Magnus with his hands at his hips. "See? I totally owned this."

Magnus threw his head back and laughed out loud making some of the others turn their heads, but nobody said something. "Yeah", he chuckled and ruffled Alec's hair, "yeah, you did indeed."

* * *

They took the subway back standing close to the doors. Alec had buried his face in the crook of Magnus' neck still chuckling at his utter failure. "Angel, I can't believe it." He took a deep breath and looked up at his boyfriend who had raised a questioning eyebrow at him. "Without the runes I suck."

"No, you don't, darling", Magnus muttered with a fond smile. He reached up to cup Alec's right cheek and gently moved his thumb across the pale skin. "Nobody's good at everything, but that wasn't important today anyway."

Alec leaned into the touch, nuzzling the warm hand like a cat. "Then what was the point today?", he asked, his voice slightly sleepy from the unusual workout.

"You had fun, right?", Magnus whispered, sudden insecurity lacing his words.

"Sure", Alec said, his eyes now big and questioning.

"See?" Magnus leaned forward and placed a small kiss on the tip of Alec's nose. "That was the point."

Alec blinked a few times in confusion which was seemingly enough of a question and a reason for Magnus to clarify his answer. "You've been so stressed and tense those past weeks, you slept, ate, fought, got injured, got healed and when you were lucky you got some more sleep before you had to go out to fight some other demon again. I just … I wanted to break that circle, wanted to give you a moment when you'd be too occupied by something else to worry about the rest of the world and I hoped you'd have fun doing so, not worrying for maybe an hour or two, without weapons, runes, all that stuff. Physical workout just for the sake of physical workout, not to build stamina for fights or learning new ways of handling a knife." Again Magnus chewed at the edge of him bottom lip, his eyes nervously searching Alec's face. "I was worried", he finally mumbled.

Alec had never been one with a thing for PDA, but right now he didn't care. He threw his arms arounds Magnus' neck and kissed him with everything he got. It wasn't a passionate kiss, it was actually just their lips pressed together, but it was like a hug only more. There was no movement necessary to convey their emotions, only closeness was needed.

They almost missed their stop.

* * *

"I still totally suck at aerobics", Alec mentioned that evening when they were sprawled across the bed, their legs tangled and with Alec propped on his elbows so he could look down at Magnus. Magnus only sent him a lazy smile.

"No, you don't", he said as his left hand followed the line of Alec's spine, moving slowly up and down the shadowhunter's back. "You totally killed it. Nobody could have done it like you."

Alec smirked and narrowed his eyes at the warlock. "Don't mock me."

Magnus' hand settled at Alec's hip. Then he leaned up and made Alec roll on his back.

"I would never mock you."

Whatever clever remark Alec had ready for that statement was lost between lazy kisses that grew heated, exchanged for pleading whispers that instead left Alec's lips. He still made Magnus swear the next morning that he'd never mention a word about the aerobics class to any other person.

**Hope you liked it :) Leave a review if you want to. Otherwise just favorite it. :D**


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